Fluid-tank indicator.



" PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904 BEST AVAILABLE cop:

I. E. BALLARD, P; A. RANTZ & e. W. COLLIN.

FLUID TANKINDIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10 1904.

H0 140mm.

UNITED STATES BEST'AVAIILABLE coPu If F a tented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. BALLARD, FRANK A. RANTZ, AND GEORGE WV. CQLLlN, OF

' BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

I FLUlljDv-TANR INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 11m Patent No. 768,109, da'tedAuguat 23, 1 m.

. Application filed Iarol1 10,1904. Serial No. 197,395. (Non odeh) To all whom it may concern: I 7

.Be' it known that we, FRANK E.v BALLARD FRANK A; Rama, and GEORGE .CoLLIN,

' citizens of the'United States. and residents of Bridgeportdn the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Fluid-Tank Indicato-gyasolene-tanks of the kind employed on automobiles or other vehicles.

Fluid-tan ks,and especially automobile gasolene-tanks, are provided with a circular filling-hole, which generally Consists of a threaded opening and is provided with a threaded plug or cap to close the same. I 7

Our device in part comprises and consists of a circular non-magnetic capor .plug for performing the same oiiice and, further; provided with novel indicator partsf lhe size and character of these openings on the various makes of machines vary slightly. Consequcntl y the difference insize can be easily compensated forwith but slight change in size of one part only of our indicator.

it is the object of this invention to provide a commercial indicator which shall be so constructed that it maybe attached to theabovedescribed opening of tanks withoutiithe necessity of reconstructing the same; further, to construct the device in such a 'w'ay'that it may be manufactured, assembled, and shipped with little or no possibility of being damaged,

broken, or disarranged during transit and shall be in readiness for attachment and operation in such tanks immediately; to produce an indicator that will not be materially affected by the shaking movement of the'fluid in atank when the machine is in use, but which shall he steady and reliable in its operation; finally, to provide an indicator for fluid-tanks ol' the above class which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and well adapted to use upon old tanks as well as new ones. I

With the above objects in View our-invention resides and consists in the novel construction'" and arrangements of parts shown upon the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this specification, upon which sinri- --lar characters of reference denote like or cor responding parts throughout the several fig; 5 5

urea, and of whi'ch- Figurelshows a'per'speetive view of ourimproved indicator detached from a tank, Fig. 2 shows a central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the indicator, the'posi- 6 tion of the operative parts agreeing withthose of Fig. 1,'which represents. their no; .0211 position. Fig. 3 is a transverse crosssection through the tube, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 3,-

illustrating the et and its pivotal shaft.

the purpose of illustrating our device, since 5 the tank itself forms no purt of the invention.

The invention as constructedis designed to show upon an external dial the height of tiuid within the tank upon which it is attached. 3

This dial can be laid out into halves, quarters, and eighths or maybe divided to indicate the quantity of fluid and gallons and the like, as

may bepreferred, and, further, comprises a needle, shaft, a float, and tubc,.allof which 5 will now be more particularly described.

Referring in detail to the reference characters marked upon the drawings, A represents an unperforated non-magnetic cover hav-e ing a thread B for attachment to the filling- 9 opening of tanks and whereby it may be used in lieii of the caps or plugs which are ordinarily employed for closing said openings and in a way to insure a quick and convenient form'ot' fitting the indicators to tanks regularly manufactured and now found upon BEST AVAiLABLE COP:

' eter, attachable and detachable to and from said cover to permit of tile interchanging of longer or shorter tubes, as maybe required, to accommodate tanks of different depths to fit covers of different sizes and with either internal or external threads B, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5, to accommodate varying sized and kinds of openings. The top of this cover is bored out to form a chamber E, in which is located a dial F and a needle G, the latter being loosely mounted upon a post I in the usual manner of compass-needles. This needle and its dial are inclosed by a glass or crystal H, which is held in place by'a circular spring-wire J. A cap K, of asuitable character and dimension, may be used to inclose this crystal and cover, if desired, in substans the float and'its associate parts from the splashing or s'hakingof the fluid in the tank.

The tube is provided with a series of holes .D to admitthe fluid sufliciently freeto properly operate the float, but not free enough to allow the splash of the fluid to materially affeet said float within the tube; This casing is further provided with closed ends M, each containing a centralipivotal recess M to receive the pivotal pins N of the spiral shaft N and upon which shaft the float is mounted. The float in question is preferably made of cork, being cut away on one side, as shown at O in Fig. 4', to loosely receive the guiderod 0, parallel with said shaft, one endof which rod is secured to the lower end of the tube and the other end in the bridge P, secured in the upper end of the tube, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and in a way to hold the float against rotary movement. The float as is obviously necessary. To the upper end of this shaft is secured a magnet S, which is designed tobe-rotated with the shaft by the rise and fall'of the .float. function of this magnet is to influence and draw. the points of the needle around upon its pivot and in juxtaposition thereto in a way 5 to indicate upon the dial the position of the cover for sai is further provided'with a metallic end Q,

The purpose and float and quantity of fluid withinthe tank therewith, as is clearly illustrated in the drawings.

As will be apparent, the needle is physio- Y ally unconnected from the shaft or magnet,

but is attracted thereby through the unperto move up .and down with the changing heights of fluid, but is held against rotatory movement by its engagement with the guiderod The turning 'of the spiral shaft carries around themagnet, and this in-turn'influences removably attached to said cover, a movable magnetic portion mounted within'said casing, a float connected with said magnetic portion to move thesame, a second movable magnetic portion physically unconnected with said first 7 portion and mounted outside of said tank in juxtaposition to said inside portion, one of said portions consisting of a magnet whereby said outside portion is caused to take positions corresponding to the positions of said inside portion and thereby indicate variations in the level of the fluid of said tank.

2. In an indicator, the combination with a portion of a fluid-tank provided with a circular opening, of an imperforate non-magnetic cover for said opening, a movable magnetic portion within said tank pivotally mounted on said cover, a float within said tank and connected with said magnetic portion to move the same, a perforated casing inclosing. said floatand magnetic portion adapted to be in serted in said tank through said hole together with the parts contained therein, a second magnetic portion physically unconnected with said first portion and pivoted on the outside of said cover, in juxtaposition to said inside portion, one of said portions consisting of a magnet whereby said outside portion is caused to take positions corresponding to the positions of said inside portion and thereby indicate variations in the level of the fluid of said tank.

opening, a perforated casing' 3. In an indicator, the combination with a I BEST AVAILABLE COP.

76$,i09 I i i 3 said filling-opening, asecond magnetic portion Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fair- 4 physically unconnected with said first portion field and State of Connecticut, this 27th day and pivoted witgiin thg tubular casing in jgxof February, A.'D. 190d. teposition to sai outsi e portion,a oat wit in 5 the casing andconnected withsaidsecond magnet in a manner to rotate the same and'cailse GEORGE COLLIN the outside-portion to take positions corre- 1 spending to said inside portion and thereby Witnesses: 1 i

' indicate variations in the line of the fluid in C. M. NEWMAN,

10 said tank. i" W. V. DEVTI'I. 

